Protection from the elements…
I’ve just returned from New Orleans, a city still trying to put itself back together after Hurricane Katrina nearly two years ago. “It was a man made disaster” Sandra told us, she’s on a mission to tell the world it was the failure of the levees that destroyed New Orleans, not the hurricane itself.
I pretty much laughed off the text messages I was receiving from England about the severity of the floods back home. Afterall, I had spent the past few days talking to people, and seeing the impact myself, of the incredible damage water can do. Plus, I’ve lived in England all my life, we can deal with a bit of rain surely?! , it seems not…
So, what can we do to protect ourselves from extreme weather? How much are you willing to spend on flood defences etc, when the weather is so unpredictable, next year, we may need to spend even more to prevent droughts? My hometown of Shrewsbury, sits in the loop of the River Severn, and I know many local business owners who are hit by floods year after year can no longer get insurance. Whose responsibility is it to protect against the weather? Have you been affected, wherever you are in the world, by adverse weather? And is this just a sign of things to come?
Turkey
"People aren't voting for them because of religion but because they are doing a good job". So said local businessman Deysun to the ý's political Editor Mark Mardell of the Islamist rooted AKP, who were re-elected yesterday as Turkey's ruling party. describes the election as a "test case" for political Islam, and talks of the implications to the rest of the Arab world. Is the result proof that democracy and Islam can work? If you live in Turkey, do you fear the impact of this result on your secular country, or have your fears receded?
How to save the planet
That in turn will mean less carbon dioxide is being pumped into the atmosphere because there will be fewer people to drive cars and use electricity. The crucial point is that to achieve this goal you would only have to spend a fraction of the money that will be needed to bring about technological fixes...
We're going to invite Chris on to explain in more detail. Do you have any questions for him?
Mein Kampf
A suggestion from our old friend Christiane.
Mein Kampf has been kept off the shelves by copyright issues since World War II, until 2015. , and a scholalry version re-printed, to pre-empt and debunk sensational neo-Nazis versions. A number of Jewish groups aren't impressed with the suggestion, branding it an insult to Holocaust survivors. Is this causing a stir in Germany? The book is widely available in several countries, including the United Kingdom and the United States, so would this make any difference?
Zimbabwe
We heard from people there a few weeks back, as hyper-inflation reached the point where shopkeepers were forced to sell goods at a major loss, and a wheel barrow full of money could buy you nothing. As the economic crisis continues, . Mugabe is under intense pressure to step down, and is .
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